The words “city” and “quiet” don’t usually go hand in hand. Cities are, by their very nature, synonymous with hustle and bustle. But in the short film above, Andrew Julian challenges this notion. He offers a glimpse of Paris that shows the exact opposite of a metropolis – in fact, people rarely appear in the video, and when they do they’re seen taking in their surroundings instead of blindly rushing by. What results is a slow, peaceful montage of France‘s famous architecture and landmarks. It’s a nice change of pace from the fast-paced time-lapse videos we often post, and a good reminder that sometimes you need to step back from the travel to-do lists and spend some time slowly soaking cities in.
The Kimchi-ite: A Tour Through Hongdae, The Center Of Korean Youth Culture
Seoul has no shortage of unique neighborhoods worth visiting and it is certainly not at a loss for places to go drinking. However, there is only one true place where the youth of South Korea go en masse for so many of their desires and that place is Hongdae. Taking its name from the Korean abbreviation for the local art university, Hongik University, Hongdae is a great place for restaurants, cafes, art, live music, clubbing, lounge drinking and shopping. There are neighborhoods all over the city dedicated solely to each of those activities, but none have all of them, nor at such great accessibility.
The streets of Hongdae are lined with an unbelievable concentration of great restaurants, cafes and fashion boutiques.
Exiting from Hongik University station‘s exit 9 will give you a face full of Korea’s different subcultures. University students wear trendy American-style varsity jackets. Musicians have their instruments strapped to their backs. Club kids will have their frameless glasses and cut-off jeans. Exit 9 is the launching point for everyone’s night and on Saturdays it can take minutes to walk up the short flight of stairs.
Rillakuma takes a breather on “Meat Street,” a block with over 30 Korean BBQ restaurants.
One block out of the station is the so-called “Meat Street,” a one block corridor with over 30 tabletop, fire wielding, Korean BBQ restaurants. Serving up the standard samgyeopsal, kind of a BBQ-style bacon, as well as most other parts of commonly eaten animals all to be dipped into the all too delicious ssamjang, a sauce of garlic, soybeans and chili paste that is unique to Korea.
Street musicians line the street between Hongdae Station and the main nightlife areas.
Venturing on from Meat Street will take you right past Hongdae’s famous street performers and buskers. Musicians, comedians and magicians all compete for pedestrians’ attention, but everyone knows Hongdae is the musician’s playground. More than just sidewalk space for one-man acoustic cover machines, it is a testing ground for Korea’s indie music scene, with many acts going on to sign major record deals. Bands have their own regular spots with dedicated fans cheering loud enough to be heard for blocks around.
People passed-out and drunk is not an uncommon sight in all corners of Hongdae.
Most people come to Hongdae for the nightlife. Reasonable prices give the area an advantage over Gangnam. Restaurants are packed with laughter as people pour each other shots of soju, Korea’s drink of choice that, despite rarely being consumed outside of the peninsula, is one of the most consumed liquors in the world. Bars become so dense that they stack one on top of another with a speed dating bar on top of a darts bar on top of a cocktail lounge in the same building.
The two versions of Hongdae Playground: on the left, the Free Market during the afternoon and on the right, the late-night hangout spot.
One of the best places to drink after dark, when the weather is good, is in the playground right across the street from Hongik University. Koreans and expats alike grab a beer from a neighboring convenience store or Korean rice wine from the Maookli Man’s push cart, take a seat on the bench or the graffiti covered jungle gym and just hang out, often accompanied by an eclectic mix of street music. Additionally, on Saturday afternoons the area turns into the family friendly Hongdae Free Market, featuring arts and crafts vendors as well as live music.
Afternoon window-shopping is fantastic with the latest in international design and fashion.
There is really so much more to Hongdae than what I’ve mentioned, such as dog cafes, amazing basement comic book shops, narrow streets with over 50 women’s clothing boutiques and a huge concentration of great Japanese restaurants. Hongdae is one of the best places in Seoul to explore, there’s always something new to see or do as it is constantly in flux.
Now is the best time to get to Hongdae and experience it all as the neighborhood is changing on what seems like a monthly basis. As the neighborhood exponentially increases in popularity, rent is raising, pushing out businesses that have been in the area for decades in order to make way for international coffee chain locations. Many of the smaller cafes and music venues that built the area’s reputation have been pushed to adjacent neighborhoods like Hapjeong in order to keep their heads above water. Regardless of corporate takeovers, Hongdae absolutely remains my favorite neighborhood in Korea and is accessible at any hour on any day.
Check out previous “Kimchi-ite” stories on Korean culture, food and eccentricities by clicking here.
[All photos by Jonathan Kramer]
Ultimate Dinner Parties At Sea, Just $1000 To Attend
Have a conversation about cruise ships and the topic of dining options usually comes up. It’s just a popular topic that cruise lines invest a lot of time and resources in, striving to provide exactly what their passengers desire. Now, more than ever, cruise lines are doing just that, often tapping well-known culinary experts to bring their shore-side influence aboard the ships. Crystal Cruises is no exception and has their own unique twist on the food focus with what they call Ultimate Dinner Parties At Sea.
To begin the name-dropping we have Napa Valley vintners Bo and Heidi Barrett and multiple Michelin star-winning Master Chef Nobu Matsuhisa each hosting one of Crystal Cruises’ 2013 Ultimate Vintage Room Dinners, all for the first time ever.
“The Ultimate Vintage Room dinners allow us to push the culinary envelope over the top, with each event truly a once-in-a-lifetime affair created just for Crystal guests,” said Toni Neumeister, Crystal Cruises vice president, food and beverage operations in a World Traveler article.
The exclusive events can accommodate just 12 to 14 guests (per event) who will have the opportunity to attend one of the seven-course, ultra-rare, wine-pairing feasts, either while sailing a Mediterranean cruise aboard Crystal Serenity (starting May 18) or the Black Sea aboard Crystal Symphony (departing July 13), respectively.
Held in the ships’ private Vintage Rooms just once or twice a year, the “dinner tab” to attend is $1,000 per guest.
Will it be worth the price? First, check the pedigrees of the hosts:
Chef Nobu Matsuhisa
A noted celebrity chef, restaurateur and the brains behind a culinary empire, Matsuhisa will be on board with his first-ever “ultimate” meal for Crystal, accompanied by rare wine and champagne pairings.
Nobu will also hold autograph sessions, cooking classes, and larger omakase dinners throughout the sailing.
Bo and Heidi Barrett
Between Bo’s Chateau Montelena winery, depicted in the film “Bottle Shock,” and Heidi’s award-winning “cult” offering 1992 Screaming Eagle (averaging $6700 per bottle), the Napa couple is aptly credited for putting California wines on the map.
Accordingly, they will be personally selecting each vintage served for the evening.
The cruise itself? Not shabby either, a choice of two, 12-day voyages boast equally interesting itineraries that chime in on the destination focus craze staying late in port if not overnight.
The May 18 sailing actually overnights three times, in Monte Carlo (during the Grand Prix) and in Istanbul and Barcelona with visits to Mykonos, Santorini/Thíra, Sorrento, Bonifacio/Corsica and Florence/Livorno.
The July 13 Black Sea voyage explores Rome/Civitavecchia, Sorrento, Sicily/Taormina, Contanþa, Yalta and Sochi, with overnights in Odessa and Istanbul.
Cruise lines have been charging extra for upscale dining for quite some time. This is nothing new. But ultra-lux Crystal Cruises touts a more-inclusive way of doing things and fabulous culinary experiences as part of what they do.
Standard fare on a Crystal cruise includes the line’s unique cheese and wine cellars, overseen by on-board, certified cheese and wine sommeliers. Passengers enjoy fresh, chef-like cocktails served by certified mixologists too. Featuring gourmet dining options at every meal, whether in the Crystal Dining Room, at afternoon tea, or in the privacy of a stateroom, Crystal seemed to have all the bases covered.
Still, even Crystal has to draw the line somewhere.
Why not a $1000 upcharge for a lifetime dining event with world-class culinary experts? It’s probably a bargain.
[Photo credit – Crystal Cruises]
Photo Of The Day: Sketching In Angkor Wat
As the largest religious monument in the world, Angkor Wat is truly massive, taking hours to get just a cursory view of the temple complex. While it is Cambodia’s prime attraction, there are still plenty of corners in which to find your own personal space, which is exactly what this sketch artist is doing inside Banteay Kdei. Known as the “Citadel of Chambers,” monks still lived inside up until the 1960s. Captured by Lauren Irons, “The Traveling Teacher,” and submitted to the Gadling Flickr Pool, this picture shows one man’s ability to do what many of us yearn for: find our own moments of peace within spectacular locations.
You too can have the chance at your travel photos being featured as our “Photo of the Day” by submitting it to our Gadling Flickr Pool or via Instagram by mentioning us @gadlingtravel and using tagging your photo with #gadling.
[Photo credit: Flickr user thetravelingteacher]
13 Travel Tweeters That Drive Us Crazy
With more than 50 million active users logging in every day, it comes as no surprise that Twitter has its fair share of obnoxious tweeters. The travel industry is far from exempt from annoying irritating users, so (just for laughs!) the Gadling team put our heads together and profiled 14 of the most eye roll-inducing tweeting types in our feeds. That’s not to say our bloggers haven’t been guilty of these moves in the past, but if you find yourself being frequently unfollowed on Twitter, it might be because you fall into one of these categories.
1. The Complainer
The security line was SO long, I almost missed my flight to #Amsterdam!
Why It’s Bad: Shut your face. You’re going to Amsterdam. It’s an airport, so expect lines. No one wants to follow your dramatic saga.
2. The No-Context Vacationer
Coffee in this town is just so damn amazing. #loveithere
Why It’s Bad: WHERE. Where are you? Unless you expect all your followers to keep track of exactly where you are at all times, this is just plain unhelpful.
3. The Junket Junkee
Middle-earth is surprisingly nice this time of year. #visitgondor
Oh my goodness, I think I just saw a great eagle! #visitgondor
Have to poop. #visitgondor
Why It’s Bad: Overaggressive press-trip promotion is not only damaging to your own reputation, but being too eager to heap glowing praise doesn’t exactly shine positively on your host, either. Be transparent about your connections or risk looking like a stooge.
4. The Humblebrager
Time to do some shopping… I haven’t got a thing to wear for my skiing trip to Vail!
Why It’s Bad: Did you see what this Twitter user did there? By complaining about not having any clothes, they also got to sneak in a mention about their upcoming trip. Oh, poor them!
5. The Hashtagger
#OMG. Check out my #awesome blog on #traditional #food in #Antigua, #Guatemala. #lp #matador #travel
Why It’s Bad: Spewing a string of hashtags makes your message hard to comprehend, and adding a tail of even more to every post causes most people to tune out. Instead of getting more attention, you’re just causing people to skip over your tweets. #Stop #it #already.
6. The Compulsive Retweeter
No example needed.
Why It’s Bad: An unnamed speaker at TBEX last year once described retweets as “the world’s biggest circle jerk.” Although that’s a pretty crass way to put it, it’s absolutely correct. Support things you really like, but don’t waste a disproportionate amount of time trying to get your handle in other traveler’s activity feeds. If your entire stream is an @reply or a retweet, it’s time to start making the conversation.
7. Chatty Kathy
Red Flags: #CruiseChat, #FNI, #FriFotos, #NUTS, #TL_Chat, #TourismChat, #RTW, #wwkds, etc.
Why It’s Bad: Networking is great, but attending every travel chat known to man is just clogging everyone’s feed. Especially when you share both questions and answers (plus a barrage of replies to other chatters). Let the moderators moderate, and join in when you have something valuable to share.
8. The Disguised Publicist
@Traveler Be sure to stop by the amazing swim-up bar at @HotelAwesome on your trip to the #Cancun! The margaritas are fabulous!
Why It’s Bad: Increasingly, publicists have been disguising themselves as travel writers and giving out “help” to those on the road. Writers and bloggers should be wary of this kind of advice, and publicists should be transparent with their connections to clients.
9. The Crowdsourcer
Just got home 2 days ago & I already have a serious case of #wanderlust. Where should I go next?
Why It’s Bad: Listen, maybe it’s time you bought a guidebook. At the very least, get a little more specific with your asks, cause your tweets are completely unhelpful.
10. The Helicopter Mom
Johnny has been loving our trip to Disney World! Here he is with Mickey: http://instagram.com/p/AbCdeFgHiJk/
Why It’s Bad: Unless you’re a family travel writer, posting tons of pictures of your children on Twitter is kind of creepy. We want to follow you, not your toddler.
11. The Forever Instagrammer
No example needed.
Why It’s Bad: Not everything needs to be documented in a photo, and putting a filter on your photos doesn’t necessarily make them good. Especially when you post obviously staged photos of your feet in the sand.
12. The Twitterizer
Good morning Twitterverse! Any tweeple want to tweet up and chat about my twip to Twitzerland?
Why It’s Bad: Please, don’t make me explain how absolutely annoying this is.
13. The #FF
#FF #travel love goes to @UserA @UserB @UserC @UserD @UserE @UserF @UserG @UserH @UserI @UserJ @UserK & @UserL!!
Why It’s Bad: Supporting people you enjoy following is great, but belching a list of users in hopes they’ll all share the tweet is disingenuous. And then when that gets turned into a chain letter of praise, let the unfollows begin. If you don’t believe us, read this Oatmeal comic.
If you don’t already, follow @Gadling on Twitter, where we make our share of own mistakes as well. Keep track of all the Gadling bloggers, too.
[Photo credit: Flickr user joelaz]